Downton Abbey and Village Small Group Tour from London
Recommended by 94% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
London, England
- 9 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Trace the footsteps of Lady Mary Crawley on a full-day tour of rural "Downton Abbey" locations from London. Rewind to early 20th-century Britain as you tour Bampton—the Oxfordshire village that doubled as Downton—and hear anecdotes about the series and actors. Plus, visit Highclere Castle, the real-life Downton Abbey, to explore its upstairs rooms and gardens independently.
- Travel to the Cotswolds without the hassle of driving
- Enjoy the freedom to explore Highclere Castle independently
- Hear insider stories you'd miss on your own
- Highclere admission fee and round-trip transportation included
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Pick up Downton Abbey anecdotes and trivia you would miss if exploring filming locations on your own.
What's Included
- Local guide
- Live commentary on board
- Entry to Highclere Castle
- Transport by Mini Coach
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Gloucester Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 4SF, UK
Please arrive at least 10 minutes early at your meeting point as the tour will leave promptly. The meeting point is at Gloucester Road tube station (Piccadilly, Circle and District Lines). A guide will be waiting for you next to the station exit outside the flower shop (Flowers Inc).
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Make your own way to the meeting point in central London in the morning and settle into your air-conditioned vehicle with your guide and separate driver.
Then, soak in the views as you head toward Oxfordshire. Along the way, admire the rolling pastures and stone villages of the Cotswolds, the quintessentially English region of hills where much of the award-winning Downton Abbey series was filmed.
Arrive in the charming Cotswolds village that doubled as the fictional Downton, and hop out for a guided tour. Stroll through the pretty lanes to see the church and buildings that served as the village pub, the former home of Matthew Crawley, and Downton Cottage Hospital as your guide shares anecdotes and behind-the-scenes gossip about the much-loved series, and its actors and storylines.
After a bit of free time here, continue to Highclere Castle, the beautiful Jacobean-style mansion that served as the Crawleys’ family home in the drama. On route, learn about the castle’s 1,000-year-old history and intriguing snippets about life ‘above and below stairs.’
On arrival, take in the splendid gardens and turreted exterior of the 19th-century house, and head inside. Enjoy ample time to explore the above-stairs rooms independently using a self-guided information sheet, including the main hall, drawing room, and library. Immerse yourself in the world of the Crawley family as you walk around, building a picture of what real life was like here more than 100 years ago, in the era the series was set.
If you wish, visit the café at Highclere for a light lunch, or perhaps bring a picnic to enjoy in the beautiful grounds.
Afterward, relax on your return journey, ending your tour with a drop-off in central London.
Then, soak in the views as you head toward Oxfordshire. Along the way, admire the rolling pastures and stone villages of the Cotswolds, the quintessentially English region of hills where much of the award-winning Downton Abbey series was filmed.
Arrive in the charming Cotswolds village that doubled as the fictional Downton, and hop out for a guided tour. Stroll through the pretty lanes to see the church and buildings that served as the village pub, the former home of Matthew Crawley, and Downton Cottage Hospital as your guide shares anecdotes and behind-the-scenes gossip about the much-loved series, and its actors and storylines.
After a bit of free time here, continue to Highclere Castle, the beautiful Jacobean-style mansion that served as the Crawleys’ family home in the drama. On route, learn about the castle’s 1,000-year-old history and intriguing snippets about life ‘above and below stairs.’
On arrival, take in the splendid gardens and turreted exterior of the 19th-century house, and head inside. Enjoy ample time to explore the above-stairs rooms independently using a self-guided information sheet, including the main hall, drawing room, and library. Immerse yourself in the world of the Crawley family as you walk around, building a picture of what real life was like here more than 100 years ago, in the era the series was set.
If you wish, visit the café at Highclere for a light lunch, or perhaps bring a picnic to enjoy in the beautiful grounds.
Afterward, relax on your return journey, ending your tour with a drop-off in central London.
1
Highclere Castle
3 hours • Admission Ticket Included
2
Bampton
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour has limited availability and is only available on certain times/days of the week.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 451 reviews
Jeffrey_F, Mar 2026
Great tour for Downton Abbey fans. Rory was a great guide and the driver was excellent as well. Highly recommend! We went on a Saturday in March so there was no crowding and we got a guided tour. The docent was also excellent and answered everyone’s questions. Our tour included a meal and a book by Lady Carnovan. Both very good.
Elizabeth_B, Mar 2026
We learned so much about the castle and lots of behind the scenes information about Downton Abbey and the cast. So much fun!
Katherine_F, Sep 2025
This was an awesome experience. We happened to be at Highclere for the VJ Day celebration. This made the war hospital storyline more real. The house tour was fantastic. Seeing all the artwork and books and bedrooms was great. Our guide Eva gave us unknown tidbits about Downton Abbey and made a super effort to get to know each person.
Joan_M, Sep 2025
A must see for all Downton fans.
Our guide Eve was so knowledgeable and entertaining.
Lots of information about behind the scenes.
Riley_K, Aug 2025
The Downton Abbey Tour of Bampton and Highclere was amazing. The guide Ava was engaging and knowledgeable. Well worth the visit.
Phillipa_E, Aug 2025
It’s well worth the long day. Seeing the village first was fun so you can spend at least 4 hours at the Castle.
Jill_M, Aug 2025
Excellent tour for Downton Abbey fans with highly knowledgeable and entertaining guide. Loved the village and Highclere Castle.
Jeffrey_L, Aug 2025
Our tour guide Jed was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The tour inside was great, however not being able to take photos was a disappointment.
Kevin_P, Aug 2025
Over by 5:30. Too rushed at the village. Not enough time to explore on own. Guide was very good but seemed in too big a hurry to get back early.
William_K, Aug 2025
A lot of driving time, but worth the time to see Highclere Castle and the Cotswold village of Bampton. Our guide, Jed, was terrific in providing all kinds great information on filming of Downton Abbey between the two venues.
Marybeth_S, Aug 2025
The tour is small - only 17 on ours. I was very comfortable doing this tour in my own. Ava was a wonderful tour guide. Neil was an excellent driver.
Pamela_H, Aug 2025
Our guide was very informative and fun. Our van driver was very courteous. Explained everything on the way there and what hidden treasures to look for at Downtown.
Chris_A, Aug 2025
Fantastic experience and Russell our Tour Guide was very entertaining. Stunning grounds in Bampton & at Highclere.
Brent_E, Aug 2025
An incredible day! Highclere Castle was stunning. The village of Bampton was charming, and we even got to go into the church after a service. Our tour guide, Richard, was fun, knowledgeable, and shared some amazing behind the scenes stories on the making of Downton Abbey. As someone who has only seen the first movie, I still found this to be an awesome, interesting, and engaging experience. The only drawback was the travel accommodations: the bus was cramped when it came to leg room and the air conditioning whistled loudly and annoyingly. That said, nothing a lovely cocktail with Highclere Gin and a walk around the gardens couldn’t solve! I wish we’d been able to stay even longer.
Freda_L, Aug 2025
A fabulous well organized trip. Michael was great guide, knowledgeable, interested in his group, with the perfect personality for the job. Neil, our driver was first class.
Carrie_B, Aug 2025
Amazing to see the village and castle with Jed, who was a friendly and entertaining guide. He was provided entertainment and trivia so that the journey seemed shorter to our goal, the sites.
Mike_L, Aug 2025
If you are a Downton Abby fan, this is a great tour! The guide was fantastic and very informative. Great sense of humor which added to the tour and made the long ride to the castle enjoyable.
Roxane_H, Aug 2025
It is wonderful. Our tour guide on the bus was lots of fun. Seeing the rooms was amazing. Love the tour of the town.
Lucia_T, Aug 2025
It was wonderful!the guide was so nice and he made everything so exciting for us, he even prepared a bingo related to Downton Abbey and we watched some episodes while travelling ! The place is really worth visiting! It's a pity pictures inside the Castle are not allowed but It IS so beautiful to see and admire!
Alexis_G, Aug 2025
Our tour guide was Chris and he was super knowledgeable about all the details and cast and filming of Downton Abbey as well as the history behind where everything was filmed. We first stopped in Bampton to see where they filmed the village and visited the sweetest gift shop! Plenty of time for photo opps. We then headed to Highclere Castle which was the star of the tour for me! The house and the grounds are beautiful and there’s so much beauty to explore that’s not shown in the show. Absolutely loved having tea on the lawn next to Highclere! Then on the way back we watched an episode of the show together and got to see the places we visited. For any Downton Abbey lover you HAVE to do this tour!
Molly_M, Aug 2025
Fantastic tour for fans of Downton Abbey! Our tour guide Rob and driver Adam did an outstanding job working together to make the trip so much fun!
Kimberly_F, Aug 2025
Positive: Highclere Castle is beautiful. The self-guided house tour, grounds, gift shop, and the bonus Egyptian exhibit are wonderful.
The ride through the countryside was also nice. The guide was friendly and knowledgeable, and the driver provided safe transport.
Negatives: The coach we traveled in was small and rather uncomfortable. There was not enough legroom, which made for a long ride, and for the overall cost, it definitely should have been a more spacious vehicle. My family felt that the guide's attire was not professional; that he didn't look like he was representing an organization, which was a bit disconcerting to them when meeting him at our group pick-up point.
ROBERTA_G, Aug 2025
Very enjoyable experience with a great guide
and Downton Abbey trivia games during the trip there and back.
Massimo_D, Aug 2025
A must for any Downton Abbey fans, or even just fans of stately homes! Highclere castle is architecturally stunning from all angles. The grounds were lovely to walk especially with a delicious Highclere cocktail in hand. Touring the house was great and the staff were generally friendly. Richard our guide was energetic and animated and his experience working behind the scenes of the show really brought another dimension to the tour. Highly recommend !
Linda_J, Aug 2025
It was professionally done. It ran smoothly. The guide and the driver were outstanding. They were engaging and knowledgeable. Our guide (Richard) was able to tell us so many things about the making of DA. We were primed and ready to see Bampton and Highclere. The sites were excellent. We won't soon forget this day.
Dimitry_G, Jul 2025
Excellent your. Comfortable, on time and informative. Driver and guide worked as a team and were ahead of schedule the whole time, giving us more time at the destinations
Belinda_O, Jul 2025
Amazing tour on 7/29/25. Driver and guide were awesome and knowledgeable. Wish we could have taken pics inside of Highclere but completely understand due to insurance purposes of the owners. The grounds and gardens are stunning!
Bruce_K, Jul 2025
Great tour with great tour guide and great driver. Viator needs to update meeting point. Overall, very fun day if you are a Downton Abby fan.
William_M, Jul 2025
The trip was very good but would recommend leaving an hour earlier to allow for more time at Highclere Castle. Our guide was very knowledgeable and shared interesting things about filming Downton. Enjoyed watching an episode of Downton Abbey on the return trip.
Rob_H, Jul 2025
This was a wonderful tour, we had looked forward to this for quite a while being big fans of Downton Abby, the tour did not disappoint.
From $249.55
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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